| Ophiothrix angulata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Echinodermata |
| Class: | Ophiuroidea |
| Order: | Ophiurida |
| Family: | Ophiotrichidae |
| Genus: | Ophiothrix |
| Species: | O. angulata |
| Binomial name | |
| Ophiothrix angulata | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Ophiothrix angulata, the angular brittle star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It is found in the warm waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. [2]
Like other brittle stars, O. angulata has a central disc and five slender, unbranched, jointed arms; the spines on the arms are twice as long as the arms are wide. It is somewhat variable in appearance and difficult to distinguish from other species of brittle star occurring in the same localities. The colour also varies, but populations in Florida are often reddish-orange, with a longitudinal white line along the upper surface of the arms. This brittle star grows to a disc diameter of about 10 mm (0.4 in). [3]
O. angulata occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Its range extends from North Carolina southwards to Brazil and its depth range from subtidal to 200 m (660 ft). Its typical habitat is on reef rubble, where it lives among bivalve molluscs, sponges and algae. Young individuals are found particularly in association with the calcified green alga Halimeda . [3]
O. angulata is a filter feeder and detritivore, spreading its arms widely to intercept phytoplankton and detritus drifting past. The particles are trapped by strands of mucus which dangle from the arms, and passed to the mouth by the tube feet. If an arm is damaged or lost by predation, it can be regenerated. [3]
The reproduction of this species has been little studied, but it is thought that breeding takes place by releasing gametes into the sea in response to variations in environmental cues such as changes in temperature. This brittle star forms large aggregations before spawning takes place. [3]
After settling, juveniles of this species are able to become planktonic again, enabling them to disperse more widely and finally settle in a more suitable location. [4]
Astrophyton muricatum, the giant basket star, is an echinoderm found in shallow parts of the tropical western Atlantic and throughout the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Astrophyton. During the day, it curls up into a tight ball shape to protect itself from predators. At night, it climbs to an elevated point to feed by extending its intricately branched feeding arms in a bowl-like shape in order to snare passing plankton and other organisms from the current.
Oreaster reticulatus, commonly known as the red cushion sea star or the West Indian sea star, is a species of marine invertebrate, a starfish in the family Oreasteridae. It is found in shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Cerithideopsis scalariformis, commonly known as the ladder hornsnail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Potamididae. This amphibious species occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The maximum recorded shell length is 33 mm (1.3 in).
Ophiothrix fragilis is a species of brittle star in the order Ophiurida. It is found around the coasts of western Europe and is known in Britain as the common brittle star. It is also found along the coast of South Africa where it is known as the hairy brittle star.
Ophiura ophiura or the serpent star is a species of brittle star in the order Ophiurida. It is typically found on coastal seabeds around northwestern Europe.
Luidia ciliaris, the seven-armed sea star, is a species of sea star (starfish) in the family Luidiidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Ophiocomina nigra, commonly known as the black brittle star or black serpent star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It occurs in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Luidia clathrata is a tropical species of starfish in the family Luidiidae. It is variously known as the slender-armed starfish, the gray sea star, or the lined sea star. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Luidia senegalensis, the nine-armed sea star, is a tropical species of starfish in the family Luidiidae found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Ophiothrix suensoni, Suenson's brittle star or the sponge brittle star, is a species of marine invertebrate in the order Ophiurida. It is found in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. It is included in the subgenus Acanthophiothrix making its full scientific name Ophiothrix (Acanthophiothrix) suensoni.
Ophiura albida is a species of brittle star in the order Ophiurida. It is typically found on the seabed in the north eastern Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea and is sometimes known as the serpent's table brittle star.
Ophionereis reticulata, the reticulated brittle star, is a brittle star in the family Ophionereididae. It is found in shallow parts of the western Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Ophiocoma echinata, the spiny ophiocoma, is a species of brittle star belonging to the family Ophiocomidae. It is the type species of the genus Ophiocoma and is found in the tropical west Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Ophiactis savignyi is a species of brittle star in the family Ophiactidae, commonly known as Savigny's brittle star or the little brittle star. It occurs in the tropical and subtropical parts of all the world's oceans and is thought to be the brittle star with the most widespread distribution. It was first described by the German zoologists Johannes Peter Müller and Franz Hermann Troschel in 1842. The specific name honours the French zoologist Marie Jules César Savigny.
Callogorgia is a genus of deep sea corals that are ideally suited to be habitats for different organisms. They reproduce both sexually and asexually, clinging to the hard substrate of the ocean during their maturation process. Callogorgia are found at depths ranging from 750-8200 feet in the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. An array of organisms have relationships with Callogorgia, including brittle stars, cat sharks, and copepods. The nature of these relationships are often commensal, with Callogorgia providing a habitat for the organisms.
Exaiptasia is a genus of sea anemone in the family Aiptasiidae, native to shallow waters in the temperate western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is monotypic with a single species, Exaiptasia diaphana, and commonly known as the brown anemone, glass anemone, pale anemone, or simply as Aiptasia.
Diopatra cuprea, commonly known as the plumed worm, decorator worm or sometimes ornate worm, is a species of polychaete worm in the family Onuphidae, first described by the French entomologist Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc in 1802. It is native to the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Ophiopholis aculeata, the crevice brittle star or daisy brittle star, is a species of brittle star in the family Ophiactidae. It has a circum-polar distribution and is found in the Arctic Ocean, the northern Atlantic Ocean and the northern Pacific.
Ophiomusa is a genus of echinoderms belonging to the family Ophiolepididae that includes: sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. Ophiurida are similar to starfish; they both have a central disc and five arms sprouting from the disc. One of the main distinguishing factors of an Ophiuroid is its arms; the arms of an Ophiurida are longer, thinner, and distinctly separated in comparison to those of a sea star.
Ophiothela mirabilis is a species of ophiuroid brittle star within the family Ophiotrichidae. O. mirabilis is an epizoic species which have a non-parasitic relationship with host sponges or gorgonians. Although native to the Pacific Ocean, it has invaded the Caribbean and southwestern Atlantic since late 2000. Many of its characteristics, including reproduction and diet, allow O. mirabilis opportunities to quickly propagate and spread through habitats.